Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

by Robert Burnham Jr. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This comprehensive coverage of the thousands of celestial objects outside our solar system. The objects are grouped according to constellation, and their definitions feature names, coordinates, classification, and physical description, along with hundreds of visual aids. Volume I of the three-volume work covers Andromeda to Cetus.

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Product Details Paperback: 656 pages Publisher: Dover Publications; Revised edition (June 1, 1978) Language: English ISBN-10: 048623567X ISBN-13: 978-0486235677 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,945 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #16 in  Books > Science > Astronomy > Solar System #27 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Star-Gazing #99 in  Books > Science > Astronomy > Aeronautics & Astronautics

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Citations (learn more)

5 books cite this book:

• The Galaxy on Earth: A Travelers Guide to the Planets Visionary Geography by Richard Leviton on 5 pages
• From Basketball to the Beatles: In Search of Compelling Early Childhood Curriculum by Ben Mardell on page 44
• The Immortal Fire Within: The Life and Work of Edward Emerson Barnard by William Sheehan on page 90
• Star-Hopping: Your Visa to Viewing the Universe by Robert A. Garfinkle in Back Matter
• Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order by George Johnson in Back Matter

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	79% buy the item featured on this page: Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System, Vol. 1 4.9 out of 5 stars (18) $17.95
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	5% buy The Backyard Astronomer's Guide 4.7 out of 5 stars (62) $32.97
	5% buy Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Volume 1, Rev. Edition

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18 Reviews 5 star:  (17) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 29 of 30 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A rare book to be cherished., March 22, 2001 By  Bryan Embrey (Fremont, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Robert Burnham, Jr., spent twenty years at Lowell Observatory participating in a proper motion survey. During his tenure, he wrote this mammoth 3-volume work covering nearly every object visible in 2- to 12-inch telescopes. Each chapter, covering one constellation (both northern and southern hemispheres), begins with a detailed list of all stellar objects (double stars, variable stars, and deep sky objects). Then, he delves, sometimes rather deeply, into the more significant objects of that constellation, bringing together history, philosophy, and science to describe each one. His chapter on Sagittarius, for example, includes a 25-page section on the dense portion of the Milky Way blending current 1970s science with wonderful passages from Greek and Eastern philosophies, Native American legends, and the history of science. His prose for each chapter reflects the content he covers: lyrical prose when describing the "personal" aspects of observing objects, and readable, accessible language to delineate the science behind what we know about objects in the heavens. Moreover, each chapter has photographs of many of the stars and nebulae with telescopes and cameras ranging from a 5-inch astrograph to the 200-inch Hale telescope of Palomar Observatory. Yes, the book is thirty years old and a little out-of-date. And, the typewritten font looks homely. But that's part of its charm. Burnham initially self-published this very personal book from his kitchen table. Literally. (Astronomy magazine published a very interesting "self-interview" by Burnham in March, 1982 which provides some background on his struggles to get it published.) From a small-press run of looseleaf copies in binders, it became somewhat of a cult classic among amateurs because nothing as detailed like this had been published before. (True, T.W. Webb's "Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes" was available, but it was last published in 1917.) I know of no other book that combines personal, reflective commentary on "mundane" objects like the Big Dipper (officially, the Ursa Major Moving Cluster), and clear, concise descriptions of variable stars, Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, and finder charts for objects like 3C273, the brightest quasar visible to amateur-sized scopes. (Trust me: spend the 30-minutes or so tracking this last one down at a star party and you'll have a line of folks waiting to look at a faint star-like object, the light of which left 3C273 long before the earth was even formed.) One side note: if you're interested in the rather tragic life of Burnham, search for "Sky Writer", an article by Tony Ortega, published in the Phoenix, AZ "New Times" newspaper for September 25-October 1, 1997. All readers of Celestial Handbook owe Ortega a nod for the herculean task of piecing together Burnham's life. 19 of 19 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Books......, July 3, 1999 By  John A. Cheng "A Reader" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Burnham is a "given" among amateur astronomers. Until quite recently there was no work other than this that contained so much useful information in one place. It's also much more than just a reference. Despite his twenty years at Lowell Observatory, Burnham seems to have remained an "amateur" in the highest sense. His love of the night sky is plainly communicated not only in his entertaining digressions into myth and poetry but also by the obvious effort he put in before the days of PC's and word processors. I began by using these books to get information on objects I already had in mind, but very quickly, the inconspicuous and the usually overlooked began to take on a "real identity" when Burnham spoke about them. The sky became immeasurably richer. Burnham died destitute in 1993. I'm in his debt. He's that wise and experienced friend standing at my side sharing what he knows. 13 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A peerless classic, June 15, 2000 By  Shawn Moses (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Robert Burnham's classic work could rightfully be called the Bible of American amateur astronomers (in Europe, the Webb Society handbooks probably earn that title). Volume 1 begins with an overview of various aspects of observational astronomy, focusing on the various cataloging and classification systems used to describe stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. The remainder of the three volumes consist of chapters for each constellation. Each chapter begins with a table that give a rundown of all objects of interest in that constellation. What follows are detailed descriptions of all notable objects in the constellation. Burnham did not confine himself to scientific facts - religion, archaeology, literature, and art all find their way into the text. Time has had a toll on the accuracy of the scientific facts that Burnham gives - many distances are wrong, and the discussions of some objects, particulaly remote or highly energetic ones, are seriously outdated. Still, these three books form the backbone of my astronomy library, and have grown battered with heavy use. They make for fascinating reading both beside the telescope and in the living room.		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Vol. 1 contains the following constellations... Constellations covered in volume 1: Andromeda Antlia Apus Aquarius Aquila Ara Aries Auriga Bootes Caelum... Read more Published 11 months ago by I. Cunningham 5.0 out of 5 stars Out-dated but absolutely essential. Yes, the coordinates are badly outdated. But anybody can get updated coordinates for any of the many thousands of astronomical objects described in this encyclopedia of... Read more Published on September 2, 2006 by Arne W Flones 5.0 out of 5 stars Need all 3 Volumes There isn't too much this book has left out when it comes to information about stars, galaxies, clusters, nebula etc... These 3 volumes are more like an enclyclopedia set. Read more Published on March 8, 2003 by Jerry Fry 5.0 out of 5 stars Great bathroom material for the Deep Sky Observer Robert Burnham (NOT the former Editor of Sky and Telescope, BTW) from the 50's to the late 60's spent many years working for an observatory on the tedious project of "blink... Read more Published on March 19, 2002 by Christopher B. Hoehne 5.0 out of 5 stars The 3-Volume Set - Good company. If I were to take a guess at the number of times I needed to consult a reference like this, I'd probably be way off - on the low side. Read more Published on February 2, 2001 by Bill Wiegert 5.0 out of 5 stars Just get it! Since getting into astronomy about a year ago I've been reading like crazy! I read all three volumes of Burnham's cover to cover and I thoroughly enjoyed practically every page... Read more Published on January 29, 2001 by Ritesh Laud 5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely "must have" book! What can be said about this three-volume classic that hasn't been said thousands of times before? Burnham's combination of history, poetry, and science are captivating and... Read more Published on July 27, 2000 by John Rummel 5.0 out of 5 stars MUST have! Even if these 3 books are a little bit outdated (1983), it is still in irreplaceable source of information on all the celestials beauties to be seen on an amateur telescope Published on March 22, 2000 by COURTOIS Julien 5.0 out of 5 stars Cataloged original observations by a skilled observer This unique 3-volume catalog of celestial objects is organized by constellation, then object type, accompanied by original photographs and text. Read more Published on November 9, 1999 by Dale Gombert 5.0 out of 5 stars I did not know that. I am currently in the process of reading the three book series where I have found has indepted descriptions and charts of all of the current heavenly bodies our of our solar... Read more Published on June 27, 1999 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Revised edition (June 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 048623567X
• ISBN-13: 978-0486235677
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,945 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #16 in	Books > Science > Astronomy > Solar System
  #27 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Star-Gazing
  #99 in	Books > Science > Astronomy > Aeronautics & Astronautics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare book to be cherished., March 22, 2001

By	Bryan Embrey (Fremont, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert Burnham, Jr., spent twenty years at Lowell Observatory participating in a proper motion survey. During his tenure, he wrote this mammoth 3-volume work covering nearly every object visible in 2- to 12-inch telescopes. Each chapter, covering one constellation (both northern and southern hemispheres), begins with a detailed list of all stellar objects (double stars, variable stars, and deep sky objects). Then, he delves, sometimes rather deeply, into the more significant objects of that constellation, bringing together history, philosophy, and science to describe each one. His chapter on Sagittarius, for example, includes a 25-page section on the dense portion of the Milky Way blending current 1970s science with wonderful passages from Greek and Eastern philosophies, Native American legends, and the history of science. His prose for each chapter reflects the content he covers: lyrical prose when describing the "personal" aspects of observing objects, and readable, accessible language to delineate the science behind what we know about objects in the heavens. Moreover, each chapter has photographs of many of the stars and nebulae with telescopes and cameras ranging from a 5-inch astrograph to the 200-inch Hale telescope of Palomar Observatory.

Yes, the book is thirty years old and a little out-of-date. And, the typewritten font looks homely. But that's part of its charm. Burnham initially self-published this very personal book from his kitchen table. Literally. (Astronomy magazine published a very interesting "self-interview" by Burnham in March, 1982 which provides some background on his struggles to get it published.) From a small-press run of looseleaf copies in binders, it became somewhat of a cult classic among amateurs because nothing as detailed like this had been published before. (True, T.W. Webb's "Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes" was available, but it was last published in 1917.)

I know of no other book that combines personal, reflective commentary on "mundane" objects like the Big Dipper (officially, the Ursa Major Moving Cluster), and clear, concise descriptions of variable stars, Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, and finder charts for objects like 3C273, the brightest quasar visible to amateur-sized scopes. (Trust me: spend the 30-minutes or so tracking this last one down at a star party and you'll have a line of folks waiting to look at a faint star-like object, the light of which left 3C273 long before the earth was even formed.)

One side note: if you're interested in the rather tragic life of Burnham, search for "Sky Writer", an article by Tony Ortega, published in the Phoenix, AZ "New Times" newspaper for September 25-October 1, 1997. All readers of Celestial Handbook owe Ortega a nod for the herculean task of piecing together Burnham's life.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Books......, July 3, 1999

By	John A. Cheng "A Reader" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Burnham is a "given" among amateur astronomers. Until quite recently there was no work other than this that contained so much useful information in one place. It's also much more than just a reference. Despite his twenty years at Lowell Observatory, Burnham seems to have remained an "amateur" in the highest sense. His love of the night sky is plainly communicated not only in his entertaining digressions into myth and poetry but also by the obvious effort he put in before the days of PC's and word processors. I began by using these books to get information on objects I already had in mind, but very quickly, the inconspicuous and the usually overlooked began to take on a "real identity" when Burnham spoke about them. The sky became immeasurably richer. Burnham died destitute in 1993. I'm in his debt. He's that wise and experienced friend standing at my side sharing what he knows.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A peerless classic, June 15, 2000

By	Shawn Moses (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert Burnham's classic work could rightfully be called the Bible of American amateur astronomers (in Europe, the Webb Society handbooks probably earn that title). Volume 1 begins with an overview of various aspects of observational astronomy, focusing on the various cataloging and classification systems used to describe stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. The remainder of the three volumes consist of chapters for each constellation. Each chapter begins with a table that give a rundown of all objects of interest in that constellation. What follows are detailed descriptions of all notable objects in the constellation. Burnham did not confine himself to scientific facts - religion, archaeology, literature, and art all find their way into the text. Time has had a toll on the accuracy of the scientific facts that Burnham gives - many distances are wrong, and the discussions of some objects, particulaly remote or highly energetic ones, are seriously outdated. Still, these three books form the backbone of my astronomy library, and have grown battered with heavy use. They make for fascinating reading both beside the telescope and in the living room.